The movie Herstory is based on the true story of 10 surviving comfort women who, in 1992, filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government for their wartime sexual enslavement during World War II. However, the case was dismissed by the South Korean courts due to lack of evidence.
In 2000, the women filed a new lawsuit against the Fukuoka Supporters Association, a group of Japanese citizens who denied the existence of comfort women and accused the women of being liars and opportunists. The association had published statements in newspapers and had held public rallies, which defamed the women.
The case became a six-year-long legal conflict, with the comfort women and their 13 attorneys fighting against the association's 200 members. The women faced harassment, threats, and intimidation but refused to give up their fight for justice.
During the trial, the women testified about their experiences of being forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military and how they suffered physical and emotional abuse. They also spoke about the stigma and shame they endured for decades and how the denial of their suffering by the Japanese government and society had compounded their trauma.
The movie highlights the resilience and strength of the comfort women and their determination to hold those responsible for their suffering accountable. It also sheds light on the issue of wartime sexual violence and how this continues to affect the lives of survivors long after the war is over.
In the end, the court ruled in favor of the comfort women, awarding them compensation and ordering the association to retract their defamatory statements and apologize publicly. The victory was a significant step towards acknowledging the harm done to comfort women and recognizing their struggle for justice.